Study Tour to Singapore

To widen students’ learning experience and boost their confidence in the use of English, our school held an English Study Tour last year. The destination was Singapore. In this tour, students could not only practise English in an authentic environment but also learn more about educational, technological and cultural developments in Singapore. In this tour, we had an invaluable opportunity to visit a school in Singapore. We visited the school campus and had activities with the Singaporean students and teachers. Our students could know more about the school life in Singapore as well as the multiple cultures there.

On this journey, I saw many famous attractions in Singapore and Malaysia, such as the Twin Towers, Gardens by the Bay, Legoland Malaysia and so on. Among them, my favourites were Gardens by the Bay and the Twin Towers.

 I always wanted to go to the Twin Towers when I was a child. I thought its name and architecture were both very special. It is such an amazing opportunity to see the design of the building like the Twin Towers. Looking at this tall and majestic building from the bottom up, it seems like I am very short!

I also love Gardens by the Bay, which is a paradise for girls! There are many beautiful flowers, tall trees and green grass, which form the perfect backdrop for girls to take pictures.

On the day of the school visit, it was really fun to play with the Malaysian students. They were very polite, nice and active. The number of students in their classes is smaller than that in Hong Kong, and their library had more children and teenager books than those in Hong Kong.

During our trip, the Malaysians sang slowly and happily on the coach. I realized that the pace in Hong Kong is too fast and it is easy to miss the good things. The Malaysians are always in a leisurely mood, and they live more happily than us in Hong Kong.

1A Chow Yi Chun, Hazel

During the five-day Singapore-Malaysia exchange experience, I got the feeling that their pace of life is slow, such as when they are eating or walking.

At Central Market Kuala Lumpur, I bought a watch which is worth HKD$20. But for the same watch bought in Hong Kong, I have to pay more than HKD$100. Why are their things so cheap? It is because their monthly minimum wage is only HK$2,100. Their products have to be sold at a low price.

In addition, although I only spent half a day in Singapore, I already got the feeling that Singapore is much stricter than I imagined. For example, when we got to Singapore Customs, we were not allowed to use phones. If you take out your phone, it will be confiscated.

1B Choi Hau Lam, Coral

I am very honoured and happy to have been able to participate in this five-day- four-night Singapore-Malaysia English Study Tour. In the blink of an eye, time flies like an arrow but I can still remember it very well.

On the third day, we went on a school visit and we had some time to communicate with local students. There are both primary and secondary sections on the campus. The size of the campus was smaller than ours and the facilities there were not as many as ours, but the students there were very satisfied. This made me feel very happy. I sometimes think that the facilities at our school are relatively backward, which makes me feel a little embarrassed. But now, I realise that I should feel happy with what I already have. On the last day, we finally left Singapore reluctantly.

1B Chow Nok Yee, Coby

On this Singapore-Malaysia English Study Tour, I tried to speak English everywhere, for example, at the airport, at food stalls and in shops when I bought food, drinks and souvenirs. It was also a good chance for me to learn the history and culture of famous places in Malaysia and Singapore.

While we are eating or people are speaking to us, we should respect people by not using our phones.

Air pollution in Hong Kong is serious. Air in Malaysia and Singapore is fresher than that in Hong Kong. Malaysia and Singapore are also cleaner than Hong Kong because some inconsiderate people litter in Hong Kong, making Hong Kong very dirty. We cannot chew chewing gum in Singapore. This may explain why Singapore is cleaner than Hong Kong. I think it is interesting that we should not take out our phone when we are at Singapore Customs, or our phone will be confiscated.

This trip was very exciting. I have gained a lot of knowledge and improved my English.

2A Chan Ka Yan, Yanice

Malaysia is a beautiful country in Southeast Asia. This journey opened my eyes because the locals there are green. They are very clean. Plants and trees are everywhere.

I joined the Singapore-Malaysia English Study Tour because I want to learn more English and use it to talk with people outside of Hong Kong. We went to a shopping mall, so we got the chance to communicate with the locals. This improved my English speaking ability and courage. On the fourth day, we interacted with local students in Malaysia. They were active in introducing their school to us.

It was exciting for me to take part in this Singapore-Malaysia English Study Tour. It has helped me to learn how to converse in English and learnt some food in Malaysia. I think this five-day trip was really awesome. I will actively participate in future study tours.

2A Chau Yuet Cheung, Rex

I joined the Singapore-Malaysia English Study Tour because I wanted to expand my horizons. On this trip I learnt some social skills and to be more brave in using English. This trip provided me with a chance to learn about a different country’s culture and learn from people from other countries.

An unforgettable moment was when we got to Singapore from Johore in Malaysia. On that day we had to wake up at 5am because of the possible traffic jam on the bridge. If you don’t reach the bridge early, you can’t get to Singapore on time. We may need to wait for seven hours to cross the border and go over the bridge. When we were on the bridge, I saw many people riding their motorcycle to go to work in Singapore because they can earn more money working in Singapore.

On this study tour, I learnt how to take care of myself and become more sociable. Also, I gained more travel experience from the tour guide and learnt more about different cultures from other countries such as their working time, what they like to eat and why they can master many languages. This trip helped me learn a lot and expand my horizons.                                                                                                                                  

 4A Li Man Yin, Alex

I joined the Singapore-Malaysia English study Tour because this is a really meaningful trip. On this trip I could learn so many English words and also make so many new friends in Malaysia.

Among all the attractions I have been to in Malaysia and Singapore, I was most interested in Legoland. It is because there are a lot of rides about Lego and Lego models of world attractions made of Lego, like Big Ben and the Great Wall.

If I have the chance to go on a school trip again, I’ll take a lot of photos at every single attraction because I didn’t take too many photos this time. It is a pity that I do not have enough photos to share with my family and schoolmates. Also, I will buy a lot of local souvenirs for friends and relatives.

4B Chan Ka Leung, Dan

I joined the Singapore-Malaysia English Study Tour because I want to learn more English and about the cultures of other countries.

During the trip, there were many unforgettable scenes. But the most impressive one is what I saw on the last day when we got to Singapore from Malaysia. When we were on the bridge, I saw so many Malaysians riding a motorcycle to Singapore to work. They need to wake up early to get to Singapore in order to earn more money. They are just like our parents. Seeing them helped me understand that it is very hard for our parents to earn money.

On this study tour, I met a lot of new friends. When we talked about our life and hobbies, I tried to use more English. Malaysian students are helpful and kind. Also, I could see and learn about the culture of these two countries. It was a good study experience for me. It would have been much better if we could have had a school visit in Singapore too.

4B Lo Kai Cheuk, Ethan